Propeller mounting for kites



July 1957' l. w. KINDELBERGER ETAL 2,800,293

PROPELLER MOUNTING FOR KITES I Filed May 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 923M? .713. 424 L923. /a9 20 INYENTORS ilk 41D y 1957 l. w. KINDELBERGER ETAL 2,800,293

PRQPELLER MOUNTING FOR KITES Filed May 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g7 INVENTORS IRW/IV l V. K/A/DFZ BERGt-V? AND ig /V/VA ff/NflflBfAf/i M w/M ATTORNEYS Uited; States PROPELLER MQUNTING FOR KITES Irwin W. Kindelberger and Anna Kindelbcrger, Wheeling, W. Va.

Application May 4, 1954, Serial No. 428,426

3 Claims. (Cl. 244155) The present invention relates to kites and is more particularly directed to a mounting for propellers upon various types of kites.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a mounting for propellers which can be affixed to various forms of kites without requiring additional parts, tools, or other special skill.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a propeller for kites which when mounted thereon enables the kites to be flown without requiring a strong wind and generally under such weather conditions that known kites could not be flown.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a propeller for being mounted upon kites for aiding in the guiding and controlling of the course of the kite while in flight and which propeller creates a buzzing noise together with the appearance of an airplane propeller in flight. I

Further and important objects of the invention will be in part pointed out and in part obvious from the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a conventional kite with the present invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the front mounting member.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2 taken in the direction of the arrow A.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the back mounting member.

Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6 taken in the direction of the arrow B.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a front view of the propeller.

Fig. 11 is a side view of Fig. 10.

Figs. 12 and 12A indicate the relative position of the grooved faces of the front and rear mounting for being aflixed to a conventional kite.

Fig. 12B shows a combination of the mountings of Figs. 12 and 12A.

Figs. 12C and 12D indicate the relative position of the grooved faces of the mounting members for being affixed to one bar of a kite frame.

Fig. 12E indicates the combined mountings of Figs. 12C and 12D.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the mounting members positioned together for attachment to a conventional kite.

Fig.-14 shows the mounting members of Fig. 13 affixed to the cross pieces of the kite frame.

Fig. 15 is a vertical section of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a box kite with the present invention thereon.

Fig. 17 is an exploded side view of the front and rear 2,800,293 Patented July 23, 1957 mounting members for attachment to a single bar, such as a frame member of a box kite.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the present mounting aflixed to a single kite frame member.

Fig. 19 is a top view of the present invention mounted upon a single bar.

Fig. 20 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 20-20 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 21 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2121 of Fig. 18 and,

Fig. 22 is a side elevation of a propeller shaft.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein like and corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 refers to the upright bar to whichis afiixed cross piece 2 at point 3 of a conventional kite.

Numeral 4 refers to an annular back mounting member having a flat inner face 5 which has a recess 6 extending diametrically thereacross which is large enough to receive one of said kite frame members 1 or 2. A bulged portion extends upon the outer face of said mounting and recess 6 has a further recess 9 in communication therewith extending into said bulged portion. Further, said mounting has a plurality of openings 8 extending therethrough from the outer to the inner face thereof.

A front annular mounting member 10 has a flat inner face 11 with a recess 12 extending diametrically thereacross. A further recess 13 is in communication with said recess 12. Said front member has an outwardly tapering bearing portion 14 upon the front face thereof which has a flat top 15 and a bore 16 extending therethrough in communication with, but of a smaller diameter than recess 13. Said front mounting is substantially the same size diametrically as said rear housing and has openings 17 provided therethrough which are positioned to coincide with the openings 8 of said rear mounting member when said members are in several different relative positions.

A propeller hub 20 of substantially the same diameter as face 15 of member 10 has a bore 21 therethrough for coinciding with bore 16. A pair of blades 22 and 23 extend diametrically opposite to one another from said hub and are of a configuration for being driven by air passing thereby. Said blades having openings 24 and 25 respectively formed therethrough for creating a buzzing sound due to the passage of air therethrough upon the rotation of said propeller.

Said mountings are aflixed to cross pieces 1 and 2 of the conventional kite by positioning face 5 of the rear mounting 4 as shown in Fig. 12 and the inner face 11 of the front mounting 10 as shown in Fig. 12A. Bar 1 is placed in recess 6 or 12 and bar 2 in the other of these recesses. The mountings are brought together as indicated in Fig. 128 each on an opposite side of the cross pieces 1 and 2 and large head fastening pins 29 pass through the coinciding openings 8 and 17 whereupon their free ends are bent as indicated for retaining the mountings to the cross piece.

Before so aifixing front mounting 10, propeller shaft 25 is extending through bore 16 with head 26 positioned in recess 13. Propeller hub bore 21 has said shaft 25 extending therethrough whereupon a tube 28 is likewise slid over the propeller shaft and the end of said shaft 27 bent forming an eye 27 to which can be afiixed the cord 33 for controlling the kite.

Thus, by pulling on cord 33 and facing the kite into the wind, the kite will begin to ascend with propeller 22 rotating and it has been determined that with the pro peller so mounted thereon, the kite will fly when very little wind is blowing and even when a kite without such a propeller could not be flown. Also the propeller permits the flyer of the kite, by manipulating the cord 33 attached thereto, to better control and guide the course of the kite while in flight.

As shown in Fig. 16 and more in detail in Figs. 17 to 21 inclusive, the present propeller mounting can equally as well be mounted upon other types of kites, as for example, a box kite where it is necessary to connect the mounting to one bar of the kite frame. For example, a box kite whose frame consists of elongated bars 31 with paper sheathing 30 extending around the top and similar sheathing 32 around the bottom, the present propeller mounting can be retained on one of said bars or uprights 31 by positioning both the front and back mounting members 4 and 10 respectively with their recesses 6 and 12 extending parallel for coinciding when inner face 5 is placed against face 11, as indicated in Figs. 12C, 12D and 12E. The mounting members are then in the position shown in the exploded view of Fig. 17. Recess 6 can then receive the rear portion of upright 31 and recess 12 the front portion whereupon the large head pins 29 can be positioned through coinciding openings 8 and 17 retaining the mounting members together and against upright 31 positioned therebetween.

As previously described for use upon a conventional kite, a kite string 33 afiixed to eye 27 can be used for pulling the box kite and causing the same to ascend through the aid of the propeller 22.

Openings 8 and 17 of the mounting members are positioned for coinciding when the inner faces 5 and 11 i are placed together and the grooves 6 and 12 are in alignment or substantially at right angles to one another. Thus, by turning either mounting member, said recesses can be positioned for receiving cross pieces 1 and 2 or an upright 31 whereby the mounting can be affixed to these various types of kites. While four such openings have been shown, it is to be appreciated that more or less such openings can be provided for the present purpose.

Whereas in the present drawing the propeller mounting is shown attached to a side frame member of the box kite, it is to be appreciated that it may equally as well be attached to the top or other locations on the kite.

Also the cross pieces 1 and 2 of the kite, shown in Fig. 1 can be of plastic and moulded with the mounting members as one piece if so desired.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims is deemed to be a part of the invention.

We claim:

1. A structure comprising a pair of disc shaped members having flat inner opposing faces, said members each having a straight recess extending diametrically across its inner face with each recess capable of receiving a portion of a kite frame therethrough, one of said members having a hub extending from its outer face and a bore extending from its inner face through said hub, a shaft extending through said member bore and having a kite string connecting portion, a propeller rotatably mounted on said shaft, kite frame portions positioned in said recesses, and means for connecting said members together whereby said members are attached to said kite frame portion.

2. A structure comprising a pair of mounting members having fiat inner opposing faces, said members each having a diametrically extending recess provided in its inner face capable of receiving a portion of a kite frame therein, one of said members having an outwardly projecting flat end portion and a bore extending through said one member substantially perpendicular to said flat end portion, a shaft extending through said member bore, a propeller rotatably mounted on said shaft and bearing against said flat end portion, said shaft having an eye provided on its outer end and an enlarged head provided on its inner end, a tube having said shaft extending therethrough and positioned between said propeller and said eye, kite frame portions positioned in said recesses, and means for retaining said members together whereby said kite frame portions are retained therebetween in said recesses for supporting said mounting members on said kite.

3. A device comprising a pair of disc shaped mounting members having fiat inner opposing faces, said members each having at least one diametrically extending recess in its inner face, at least one portion of a kite frame positioned in said recesses, one of said members having a hub extending from the outer face thereof, a shaft extending from said hub, a propeller rotatably retained on said shaft, said members each having a plurality of openings positioned for coinciding with the openings in the other member when said recesses are in any one of a plurality of various positions relative to one another and a plurality of pins each extending through coinciding openings in said members for retaining the same together with said kite frame portion therebetween in said recesses whereby said members are attached to at least one piece of said frame.

Heisenfeldt Jan. 12, 1932 Bacon Feb. 14, 1950 

